


The Reason For

by KazOfScotland



Series: Crossing Lines [3]
Category: Crossing Lines
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-18
Updated: 2015-10-18
Packaged: 2018-04-26 23:25:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5024707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KazOfScotland/pseuds/KazOfScotland
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>His family wasn't meant to be involved in his work, so it is Tommy worst nightmare when his daughter is taken hostage  on her birthday and the ICC team get the case - and only the Major knows that one of the hostages is his daughter.<br/>And this case just shows that his family is truly screwed up. </p>
<p>Warning for swearing and slang being used.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Reason For

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any recognised characters. They all belong to the person who created the Television show.
> 
> Also there will be more to come and constructive criticism is welcomed.

The Reason For…

The ICC team was having a reasonably easy day, they each had their own cases that they were following up on from home, but as a team they had no case to work.

Tommy McConnel was actually hoping to cut out early for a change. It was not that he had anything against his job, in fact it was a great job, but today he had  important plans. These plans involved him getting dressed up nicely to go out for dinner; if it had been a date with a woman (or a man) he would not have been bothered. But today was his daughter’s birthday, and he had promised her years earlier that he would never miss a birthday. He would do everything he could not to miss any of his daughter’s birthday, especially since he had missed three of her birthdays already.

Sebastian Berger was watching every database, news report and police frequency he could think of. Honestly he didn’t mind if they got a case or not; he had nothing better to do with his time and he was trying to avoid gambling. He wasn’t stupid, he knew this wasn’t a good thing, but he also knew it could be his career if he went for help. The only help he had was to bury himself in his work and hide from the mistakes he had made. And if, because of that, he found a case they could help with, then it would just be an added bonus.

Eva Vittoria was looking into a case, that if she was being completely honest with herself, she shouldn't have been. The case was one that she had not been involved with at the start or invited in on, but there was something screaming at her that she needed to do something about it. The case involved school pupils being held hostage whilst on school field trips, but it was only a couple of pupils and they never did anything that would lead the authorities to them. Eva, though, had an idea of what the idea behind this plan was, and she believed that she could get to the bottom of it.

Anne-Marie San was the only one actually working an official case but she was in France to make the arrest. So although she probably wasn’t having an easy day, she was doing what she had signed up to do and arresting Human Traffickers. Anne-Marie, although she was a good member of the ICC, was more of a French Cop than an International Cop. Despite this, she was an amazing member of the team, that was always missed when she was away.

Louis Daniel, the Lead Detective of the ICC team, was doing what he always did when they were not working a case - looking into who killed his son. He only knew the bombers alias but he was searching for his real name and the reason why his son had been killed.

Carl Hickman was actually away chasing a lead on the Carnival case that he was working. None of the ICC team actually knew what he was doing but they did know that whatever it was, was important and that they would do whatever they could to help him if he asked.  

* * *

It was Sebastian that managed to link Eva’s case to one that they could work to finally stop the group from taking hostages. However, with the link that he found, they delivered the worst news they ever could to Tommy.

Sebastian, Eva, Louis and Tommy were gathered in the main area of the ICC Team Headquarters as Eva began to explain the case to them. Normally it was Louis who gave them the briefings, but this time he didn’t even know anything of the case.

“For the past year, a group of four have being taking between two and four pupils hostage whilst these pupils have been on school trips. The group either demands something of the parents, the school or the Government, and always ensure they are well hidden. They started by taking two girls in Rome, then they took two boys and a girl in Paris. They are normally gone before the police arrive, but this time we have been informed before they have gotten what they requested,” Eva explained as she pointed out facts in each of the files that Sebastian pulled up.

“We intercepted an emergency phone call from a pupil on a school trip who says she and two other pupils are being held hostage at The Grot of Sint-Jacobskerk…” Sebastian continued on but as soon as Tommy heard the words ‘Grot of Sint-Jacobskerk’ he closed off and tried to remember if it was today that his daughter was visiting the ‘Grot of Sint-Jacobskerk’.

When the Irishman realised that it was, in fact, today that his daughter was visiting the 'Grot of Sint-Jacobskerk', his heart plummeted and his stomach rolled. His daughter was his saving grace and the reason why he was who he was today, and if something were to happen to her, he honestly had no idea what he would do. He had moved to The Hague to try and keep his daughter save and it just felt as though he was failing her. He didn't even know if his daughter was one of the ones who was being held hostage but even if it wasn't her, she had still been placed in danger.

"At least one pupil has been a foreigner to the country they are in when taken, and normally not been in the country for longer than a year. It is thought that they target these pupils in particular because they don't know the area as well as natives do," Eva added as Tommy checked back in.

The Italian had been watching Tommy whilst Sebastian had been talking and was growing concerned that he had checked out when the tech-wiz had been giving them information on the latest victims. It shocked her because normally Tommy was quite intent in listening to what information they had on their cases, he also tended to notice small details that others had a habit of overlooking.

The perfect example of that fact had been that it was Tommy who noticed that the gunman in the bank robbery had been standing goofy-footed. Eva would never have even noticed it if it had not been for Tommy asking for the clip to be replayed. The only person who Eva knew to be more observant than Tommy was Hickman but there was still something shocking about Tommy stopping paying attention even if it was for less than a minute.  

"Do we have any idea what they want?" Tommy's Irish twang cut though, but it only reassured Eva that he was concerned about the case, it didn’t let her know why he was acting so differently with this case.

“No,” Sebastian answered, as they all packed up ready to go to the crime scene.

* * *

Annika Van de Berg and Hendrick Jansen watched as the youngest in their group, the Irish girl, snuck her phone from her back pocket and dialled the number for the emergency services. Both of the Netherlands Natives could not believe how stupid she was being; didn't she know that these guys were gun wielding psychos.

Only she did know. And sadly she had known one of the gun wielding psychos really well, because the Australian one was her former stepfather. Lachlan Harris was as psychotic as they came, and she was not ashamed to say that she's glad to be with her dad instead of her mum and Lachlan.

She held her phone tightly, waiting for them to leave the three of them alone in the room so that she could phone for help. She knew how Lachlan worked, and that, she hoped, would be his downfall. She just needed enough time...

* * *

Luca Meyer had been working for the Police since he turned eighteen but, if there was one call, he would never get used to, it was the hostage calls involving children. He had seen one too many go wrong during his seventeen years as a cop. He had learnt early on that those who kidnapped kids were a special type of crazy.

In his honest opinion the worst part of dealing with hostage calls involving kids was having to tell the parents and then questioning them to find out why their kids might be being targeted. He detested the fact that it felt as though he was interrogating the parents like suspects when they are actually one of the innocent parties most of the time.

Worst of all though was when the case didn’t go their way; bodies too small for a coffin, lives barely yet lived gone, families destroyed and shattered. The blood stayed with you every second of every day as did  the whole memory of the days you were not good enough.

Right now, he was grateful for all the help he could get. He had seen the crime scene photos and read the reports from Paris and Rome and the other places that the hostage takers had struck. He knew it was going to be a difficult situation as soon as he received the call, especially when one of the hostages identified a hostage taker by the codename, Borealis, who was one of the most infamous criminals worldwide without being a terrorist.

* * *

Colin McConnel had not signed up to hold kids hostage. He knew that his choices in life would not earn him a good end but he still had his morals and rules. One such rule was no kids involved at all. He may be a criminal but he also had his own family and he refused to let anyone lose a kid because he knew he would never be able to look his own kid in the eyes again.

What made this job worse than the others that he normally worked was that one of the kids was his niece, and despite the issues between him and his brother, Tommy, he still cared about her. In Colin's opinion, his niece was the innocent party and, although he would never admit it, she held a special place in his heart due to her being the oldest of his siblings kids and therefore his first niece.

"I'm done. Kids weren't part o' the deal!" Colin stated firmly as he packed up his weaponry. He glanced back at the three kids sitting, tied up, against the wall and sent an apologetic look to his niece. As he did so he grew worried, but he could not do anything about the situation as he could not stay and go against his morals. "My deal was no kids, no family. What d'you call this, eh Borealis? Cause I call it, family and kids," Colin stated as he shouldered his bag of weapons and then turned to walk out.

"You're going to regret this Tiger," was the only comment made as the Irish gunman left the room, leaving the three kids to fend for themselves.

* * *

Upon arriving at the hostage scene the Major gave each of them their tasks as he went in search of the Detective in Charge. Tommy was to talk to the hostage taker who had left early. Eva had the job of trying to get information out of the pupils who had not been taken whilst Sebastian scanned the area to get crime scene pictures and a virtual rebuild of it. And Louis Daniel, he had the fun job of placating the Detective in Charge so that they could work the case and finally end the cases of the School Hostages.

Louis could see the anger and stress the case was causing the detective as he appeared at the main command centre. The look of relief the detective gave when he introduced himself told Louis everything he needed to know.

“Detective Meyer, we will do whatever we can to help. I have one of my team scanning the whole crime scene, and the other two are interviewing the students and the hostage taker,” Louis offered as he shook Detective Meyer’s hand. If he glanced to his left, he could see Eva talking to the group of student and to his right he could see Tommy arguing… what do you mean arguing… with the hostage taker.

“We need to find a Detective Tommy McConnel as the Hostage Takers refuse to negotiate with anyone except him. If you and your team could find Detective McConnel…” Meyer did not get a chance to finish before Louis and himself turned to see the Hostage taker and Tommy start to fight.

“That is Detective McConnel,” Louis responded

* * *

 

Detective Tommy McConnel groaned quietly to himself when he saw the Hostage taker. It was just his luck - the location of the hostage situation was the location of his daughter’s school trip and then it turns out one of the Hostage takers is his brother, Colin. Tommy always knew that it would come to this, him having to watch his brother in handcuffs, but he always prayed that it wouldn’t.

“Fuck!”

He couldn’t help it, Tommy had to laugh at his brother’s greeting. Of course his brother wouldn’t be pleased to see him especially seeing as he himself was not too pleased to see Colin.

“Nice to see you too, Colin,” Tommy greeted sarcastically. He genuinely wished this day would never have happened. “I need to know if  she is one of the hostages and then you’re gonna tell me everthin’ you know about Borealis n the operation,” Tommy stated firmly. All he really cared about was if his daughter was in danger or not.

“They’ve got Jelly-Bean and Borealis ain’t the one in-charge. It’s Aurora! Seriously, you really know  how t’ pick ‘em, lil’ bro’,” Colin answered, his accent thick and angry. It was so similar to the last time they spoke, when Colin told him that he would kill him, that Tommy couldn’t push back the memory of that morning.

“What d’you mean ‘it’s Aurora’?”

“I mean that it’s the psycho bitch you fucked and created a bloody Bairn wi’,” Colin replied a split second before Tommy’s fist swung out. The fist connected with Colin’s jaw in a satisfying thud, before Colin lunged at his younger brother.

Before either of the two brother’s knew what was happening they were on the floor with Colin pinning Tommy to the floor ready to beat Tommy half to death. Blood was already dripping down Colin’s cheek and the corner of his lip, but that did not concern Tommy as he prepared to fight  back against his older brother.

With a brief pause Tommy studied the look on his brother’s face before he bucked his hips and shoved his brother to his right, rolling with him. As soon as he was towering over Colin he started to swing once again at his brother.

“You ever say anything about her again n I’ll kill yah!” Tommy threatened him with every punch he landed. “And you left her!” he continued to swing before he was pulled off of him.

“I will kill yah, Tommy. N I can say any’hin’ about her I want t’,” Colin stated before he spat out the blood that had gathered in his mouth.

Tommy lunged at him again, not ready to give up, but Louis and Sebastian held him back on pure adrenaline it seemed. The Irishman had weight and strength, from years of fighting, over the two holding him back, but they had determination not to let Tommy get into trouble for assaulting a suspect.

“Tommy walk away, just walk away,” Louis ordered his detective, but it fell on deaf ears. Tommy just continued to glare at Colin in anger.

“Orlaith Harris and Lachlan Harris are the ones in charge of this hostage idea,” Tommy  finally stated as he pulled out of Louis and Sebastian’s grasp. He was still beyond angry but he knew that he couldn’t let it control him, that he had to get his daughter back before he could act out against his brother.

* * *

"Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen,” the Irish girl prayed as she cling to the cross her dad had given her for her sixth birthday. She had been praying since the moment her uncle left, she prayed every prayer that she could remember in every language she knew them in.

“Why are you doing that?” Hendrick asked her as she paused between prayers to see where the psycho’s who had taken them hostage where. The sixteen year old boy was terrified and did not understand the logic of the youngest, how could she sit there and just pray?

“Stay with me, Lord, May I listen to Your voice and follow You. Stay with me, Lord, for I desire to love You and always be in Your company."

She then repeated what she had already done, starting with the Hail Mary and just continuing on to the next and then on again. She didn't bother to explain why she was praying, she knew they would not understand but she did. She knew that it was keeping her calm, meaning she was safe.

And safe was good for each of them being kept hostage.

* * *

"Mr McConnel, can you explain what the motives of Borealis and Aurora are?" Eva Vittoria asked the elder brother of their Irish Detective. She knew that the best chance of getting the people, the children, who were being held hostage home, to their families, unharmed.

"They have only one motive, get as much money as they c'n," Colin answered, he continued on though. "Tell 'em, Aurora and Borealis ain't backing down," he added before he held out his hands for Eva to put the handcuffs on him.

"Officer, watch him and do not let him out of your sight," Eva ordered the closest police officer before she began to go to the main command center where Louis was getting Tommy ready to negotiate with Borealis. She had an idea but she wanted to know what Louis and Tommy were planning first.

“Harris is gonna have Orlaith watching us on the end of a sniper rifle, n’ she won’t hesitate to shoot us,” Tommy stated as the Italian stopped next to the two men in the command center. “Orlaith will fire off twice, then Harris ‘ill try n’ leverage us wi’ a hostage,” Tommy added, his voice clearly angry.

Eva studied Tommy, in all the time that she had known him she had seen him angry, upset and a multitude of other emotions, but for once, despite her amazing ability to read the team, she could not place what he was feeling about the fact that his history was more than likely about to try and kill him. She wished that she understood what was happening with Tommy so that she could help him in anyway that she could, because that’s what they did for each other. They looked out for each other, just like family in a way.

* * *

The phone rang which caused both Lachlan and Orlaith Harris to spin around and face the trio of teenagers. Orlaith just glanced her eyes over her daughter, she knew who she was, but in all honest truth she could not care any less what happened to her - why else would she have walked away when she was born, and only take care of her for a few months due to the courts forcing her to. To Orlaith, the only reason they took her godforsaken daughter today was because she and her husband knew she was the best chance to get what they wanted from Tommy.

Lachlan Harris was an intimidating man, he was quick to threaten and resort to violence if he did not get what he wanted. And his target of choice was now his step-daughter. He stormed over to the trio, grabbed his step-daughter roughly by the arm and yanked her up from the floor. He dragged her across to where Orlaith held the phone ready to accept the phone call. The fourteen year old stood on shaky legs as Lachlan kept pushing her closer to Orlaith and the phone.

“You will tell them exactly what I tell you to!” Orlaith ordered, her voice deep and with a tone of danger, just how she wanted it to be. “Say anything else and I will not hesitate to put a bullet into your little head!”  The gun held in her hand told the Irish teenaged that she meant business.

Then before she knew what was happening the phone was shoved against her ear and a sheet of paper with what she was to say placed in her hands. And with tears falling down her cheeks she spoke.

"Dadaí! They wan' £1.5 million. If you don't gee' 'em the money, they kill me first," the teenager read softly in fear. "Dadaí, I love you!" She added knowing it could be the last time she said the words and if it was she wanted to give her dad the comfort of knowing that despite everything, and every time she ignored him or told him that she hated him that it was done in anger, and she really did love him.

She listened to her dad's response and tried to fight away the tears that were close to becoming sobs. She could hear the calming tone that he used whenever he was terrified but he wanted her to think that he wasn't, and that was the straw that broke the camel's back.

"STOP IT!" The scream of anger was from Lachlan. He tightened his grip on her shoulder until she howled in pain. "Tell him, he has two hours," the psychotic Australian ordered as he once again gripped tighter.

She passed on what Lachlan said and hear her dad say 'love ya, kiddo''. And then she was being forced back over to Annika and Hendrick.

* * *

Annika Van de Berg and Hendrick Jansen had never been so terrified in their lives. The sixteen year old and fifteen year old grabbed the youngest in their group as soon as she was flung towards them. Given standard circumstances Annika and Hendrick would have just left her, but now, now they knew that if it were not for the fourteen year old they would've been dead more than likely. Neither of them believed that they would've been able to tell whoever was on the end of the phone what the demands were.

"You okay, McConnel?" The softly spoken question came from Annika, her voice quiet but full of fear and clouded with tears. The fifteen year old waited for nearly a full two minutes before she tried again. "McConnel are you okay?" She pressed.

"I wan' my dadaí!" the Irish native admitted through her sobs as Annika pulled her into a hug whilst crying herself. "I just wanna go home!" She sobbed as Annika tries to calm her down whilst Hendrick and watched the two kidnappers and the door for the third kidnapper.

* * *

"Love yah, kiddo!" Tommy McConnel said those words as calmly to his daughter as possible. He wanted to go in guns blazing but he also knew it could cause them to seriously injure his daughter. “Fuck!” he just needed to know that she was okay and that she was safe.

“Tommy?” it was Louis who broke his attention.

“They have her! Those tosser’s have her and are using her! Wankers!” Tommy ranted as he slammed the phone down. He did not understand why it had to be his daughter, why could it not be someone else, some other family for once.

“What do they want?” Eva asked, in her calming tone. She knew that she had to get Tommy to tell them what was demanded by the hostage takers. She had realised not long after they began to work together that Tommy took a lot of things to heart and he got angry at the drop of the hat.

“Wankers want one n’ a half million in the next two hours or they kill ‘er first,” the Irishman said in a tone so similar to the tone he used with Sienna Pride’s mother. It was that tone of angry that showed that he was breaking.

“So how do we get one and a half million euro?” Sebastian Berger asked the question that was on everyone’s mind, even the police officers. However that raised the problem that caused Tommy to worry about how to save his daughter.

“They want it in pounds. Trust Aurora to make it as difficult as bloody possible,” Tommy responded.

* * *

Eva Vittoria waited until she knew that Tommy wasn’t about to go and murder anyone that got in his way whilst going into the Grot of Sint-Jacobskerk guns blazing before she made her way over to Colin McConnel. She had an idea, but she didn’t know on the scale of bad ideas where exactly it ranked.

She was going to ask him to help them get the three teenagers back.

Firstly though she had to gauge if the elder McConnel would be willing to help them and, if so, what it would cost them. She knew though that Tommy was close to someone being held hostage and she prayed that would be enough for the Irishman known as Tiger to willingly help them.

"Mr McConnel, I would like to ask you to consider helping us get the three hostages back,"  Eva stated as she watched the Irishman decide if he would help. She prayed that he would agree to help rescue those he had helped take hostage. It really was the very least he could do.

“Why would yah ‘hink that I wouldn’t just kill Tommy as soon as given the chance?” Colin spat out his reply unaware that his brother was stood behind him. It would probably have made no difference though, because he was open about the fact that he would kill his younger brother.

“‘Cause it don’t matter. All that matter’s is gettin’ those bairns back. You c’n kill me if yah wan’,” Tommy stated as though it was no big deal that he was willing to die. “Just put da’s ten grand to use,” he added much to Eva’s surprise, before he walked away. Eva suspected that he was going to make up tactical plans.

“I’ll do it,” Colin stated in annoyance.

* * *

“So we pretend to give them the money, get the hostages and then arrest them?” Sebastian asked wondering if the plan would actually work. He may only be a tech genius but he was genuinely concerned that this plan would not work.

“Yeah,” Tommy responded. The German knew though that the former member of the I.R.A was as unsure about the plan as he was. That however did not make Sebastian feel any more confident than he had the first time Tommy suggested the plan forty minutes earlier. “If you have a betta idea, tell us now. We got fifteen minutes,” Tommy added as he ran his hands through his hair.

He waited for a moment before deciding that he may as well agree with the plan. “What can I do?” he requested.

“Can you figure out where those wankers are from the call?” Tommy asked in a sharp annoyed voice. Sebastian knew that it would end extremely badly if they did not manage to get the hostages out or apprehend the hostage takers.

Sebastian’s way of answering was to nod before they went to make sure that everything was ready.

* * *

Louis Daniel hung up his phone with a sigh of relief at the fact that Anne-Marie was on her way back and should be there in about an hour and a half depending on traffic. He had enough experience to know that they needed all the help that they could get once they got the hostages out; they had to connect the three hostage takers to the hostage takings in Rome and Paris to ensure that there was justice for each and every victim. Including the families and teachers who felt that they had failed.

Louis understood why the parents and teachers felt that they had failed the children who had been taken hostage, after all he felt beyond guilty about the bomb that killed Etienne. He could also see that both Tommy and Colin McConnel felt guilty about the teenager’s being held hostage. The main reason he wanted to get the hostages, the families and teacher’s justice was so they did not have to feel the guilt he did.

In all honesty Louis just wanted this case to  be over and to see the guilt fade from the face of his Irish Detective. He had been a detective for so long that he did not believe that there could be a happy ending for every case. But now, just this once, he had faith in a happy ending for all those involved. However for that to happen he needed himself, Eva, Tommy and Sebastian to be able to pull off the plan, before that could happen though he needed to know that Tommy was going to be able to keep his cool.

“McConnel,” he requested as he watched Eva, Tommy and Sebastian prepare their weapons, check their vests and sort the weapons they were giving to Colin McConnel. When Tommy approached him he turned and walked away from where everyone was so as they could talk privately.

“What can I do for you?” Tommy replied as they stopped out of hearing range of the others but where they could still see what was going on if anything changed.

“The youngest hostage is your daughter. I want to know if you can be objective,” Louis told the younger man as he watched the emotions fly across his face. He knew that if Tommy couldn’t stay objective once they were inside then it could end badly.

“Yeah.”

Louis nodded his understanding. He knew that he could trust his team to get the hostages out, and that they were all focused on the objective.

* * *

Detective Luca Meyer was beginning to believe that the ICC Team’s plan wouldn’t work. They only had ninety-seven seconds left. However his faith began to grow when he heard the German tell the rest of the team that he had the surveillance footage.

Eight-four seconds.

Meyer approached the screens that the German had put the footage on and felt his heart stop. Each of the hostages were being held at gunpoint with tears cascading down their faces, even the eldest - the sixteen year old male.

Sixty-two seconds.

He tightened the final strap on his bulletproof vest and checked the clip in his gun as the Irish Hostage Taker was uncuffed. It had taken him a while but he understood why they wanted him out of custody.

Thirty-one seconds.

He placed himself in position behind the S.W.A.T team two hundred yards from the entrance. He glanced to his right as he saw the ICC team take their positions behind the S.W.A.T team with the Irish Detective next to him.

Eighteen seconds.

Luca Meyer paused when he saw the ICC team member he began to refer to as 'Irish' in his thoughts touch his chest and whisper quietly. Meyer had seen people do this before, and it shocked him that he only just realised that Irish was the parent of one of the hostages. And for that reason Meyer was amazed that he was leading the raid.

Seven seconds.

He started to feel the adrenalin flood into his veins and so he began the ritual he perfected sixteen years previous. Breath in... One... Two... Three... Breath out... One... Two... Three... And repeat. It had worked every time since he first tried it out and he knew it would work this time giving him the chance to have faith in something.

Two seconds.

Irish spun the phone in his hand as they waited for it ring. It was clear to Meyer that the waiting was nearly killing Irish. It didn’t surprise Meyer though, he was not personally involved in the case other than he was the lead detective and he even he was terrified waiting for the phone to ring.

And then they all froze, even himself, as the phone rang. Once. Twice. Thrice. And then the Irishman, whose entire world was riding on the result of this one single phone call, answered it.

“Jelly Bean, we’re going to get ya out!” was the promise made as soon as he answered  the phone.

* * *

Ten seconds until the two hour time limit was up and Orlaith Harris typed in the phone Humber got redial. She didn't put the call through yet. Her husband held the daughter that she cared about at a level of zero with a gun to her head willing to pull the trigger.

Orlaith Harris wasn't waiting to be kind and give the police time to get the money, no she was waiting to torture her ex-boyfriend who was the father of her daughter. She didn't understand it but she knew Tommy McConnel would be terrified and heartbroken with every passing second that he didn't know what was happening with his daughter.

“You don’t ‘ave to,” the child who was a mistake pleaded but Orlaith just glared at her and then smiled when Lachlan punched her.

As the fourteen year old clutched her now aching jaw Orlaith pushed the button to put the call through. Honestly this was why Orlaith signed over all parental rights to Tommy only three days after giving birth; she had no emotions when it came to the child carried within her womb.

“Do not tell your da’ any’hing I don’t tell yah to,” Orlaith ordered as she put the phone on speakerphone just as the phone was answered.

* * *

The fourteen year old Irish girl whose family had nicknamed Jelly Bean sighed with relief despite her aching jaw when she heard her father's voice. Her father's voice and always relaxed and comforted her, ever since she could remember it had been her dad's voice.

"Jelly Bean, we're going to get yah out!" The amount of comfort that one promise brought was amazing.

"Dadaí, the money is to be delivered to the Mauritshuis Museum within the next twenty minutes," the fourteen year old repeated to her father. "'N then they'll release us!" She added before everything went dark as Lachlan cold clocked her.

* * *

Twenty three minutes after the end of the phone call the fourteen year old awoke to three gunshots and her father lying on the ground bleeding.

But the upside was he was smiling at her and she felt safe.

* * *

* * *

 


End file.
